Bengaluru: City gynaecologist performs live keyhole surgeries for national audience

Bengaluru: Bengaluru's renowned laparoscopic surgeon and infertility specialist Dr Vidya V Bhat, Medical Director, Radha Krishna Multispecialty Hospital, performed keyhole surgeries on women patients on Sunday, which was broadcast live to over 3,000 gynaecologists all across India.

The objective is to encourage surgeons to opt for laparoscopic surgeries for the removal of uterus and uterine fibroids as the procedures offer immense benefits compared to open-abdomen surgeries. The day-long medical education workshop was organized in partnership with Zydus Nutriva ahead of the International Women's Day.

Dr Vidya V Bhat conducted live laparoscopic hysterectomy and myomectomy on camera for the national audience of doctors. She said, "With advancements in medical technology, laparoscopic (keyhole) surgeries offer much better outcome than open-abdomen surgeries for removal of uterus and fibroids growing in the womb. It is important that laparoscopy becomes the norm and every woman gets benefitted in terms of lesser pain, scaring and wound complications, less cutting of skin and tissue, shorter duration of hospital stay and faster post-operative recovery."

She added, "Laparoscopic removal of uterus or fibroids uses specialized skill and surgical instruments inserted through tiny incisions in the abdomen, eliminating the need for traditional open surgery. The success of these advanced procedures depends on the experience and expertise of the surgeon. The idea behind this live session is to enhance the skills of surgeons, especially young ones, so that laparoscopic surgeries become common alternative to traditional surgeries. They can watch these surgeries done live from the comfort of their homes."

Laparoscopic hysterectomy is a minimally invasive procedure in which the entire uterus (womb) is removed, mostly due to the presence of fibroids. Laparoscopic fibroid removal (myomectomy) is a minimally invasive procedure to remove uterine fibroids, which are non-cancerous growths in a woman's uterus. The surgeon's goal during myomectomy is to take out they fibroids and reconstruct the uterus. Unlike a hysterectomy, which removes the entire uterus, a myomectomy removes only the fibroids growing inside it.

The procedure can help relieve uterine fibroid symptoms such as abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding, pain in the pelvic region, and pressure on the bladder or bowel. Uterine fibroids are very common. About 35-60% of women develop some fibroids by age 35, with the numbers going up to 70-80% by age 50.

Laparoscopic surgery, also known as keyhole surgery, is now the preferred way to remove the organs and surrounding tissues of the reproductive system. During the procedure, a small tube containing a telescope (laparoscope) and a tiny video camera is inserted through a small cut (incision) in the abdomen. This allows the surgeon to see the internal organs. Instruments are then inserted through other small incisions in the abdomen or vagina to remove the womb, cervix or any other part of your female reproductive system.